A P2A glazing may protect you against a thrown rock. But certainly not against burglary: the P2A glass is broken after less than 10 seconds, the burglar is free to act. “Through throw resisting” does not mean burglary resisting. P6B glass by SILATEC offers effective burglary protection: it provides resistance for not only ten seconds but for ten minutes - even against an ax or a sledgehammer. A wall of glass.
It is clear: The glass must be as safe as the window. But: While the RC2 windows delays the average offender after all about three minutes, for example, against a crowbar, the P2A glass can be easily broken - in under ten seconds! Based on the test standard for RC2 windows, P4A glass should be used. But: This glass also only resists for 15 seconds! For incomprehensible reasons, the test standard actually does not require a test. In contrast, SILATEC P6B glass offers a meaningful supplement, which resists for more than ten minutes. Safe glass, safe window.
The P2A glazing may for all intents and purposes be meaningful for staircase railings made of glass. Because even a damaged pane may still provide protection against falling. P2A glass can withstand snow and hail, for example as a roof pane in front of the entrance door or in sunrooms. It can also withstand throws of a basket ball, for example in sport halls, and if the pane should break, than splinters are not generated and the athletes are protected against injuries.
Left: “Through throw resisting glazing” from P1A to P5A. A maximum of 15 seconds protection through P5A glass, for P2A glass only a maximum of 10 seconds. Center: “Burglary resisting glazing” or “armored glass”: Conventional P6B, P7B or P8B glass. A protection of only 30 seconds. Right: SILATEC safety glass P6B, P7B or P8B. Ten minutes protection against hammering-in - even against as sledgehammer or an ax.
It cannot be much easier: Glass pane, foil, glass pane. If the P2A glazing breaks, then the splinters remain at the foil - and this can prevent injuries. For this reason, P2A glass is also called “laminated safety glass” (VSG). The P2A glass is not a real safety glass. Because it does not provide any burglary protection.
The foil in the middle consists of PVB, a hot melt adhesive with a thickness of around one millimeter. It holds two float glasses with a thickness of four millimeters each together. For static reasons, larger material thickness is required for larger glass formats, for example, two times eight millimeter float glass.
An additional glass pane is placed in front for the heat insulation of double insulating glass, often with a distance of 8 to 16 millimeters. The generated intermediate space is filled with inert gas to insulate the heat even better. An additional pane will be placed for triple glazing, also with intermediate space and inert gas filling.
The P2A glazing is already availably with nine millimeters as single glazing (monolithic). Providing improved heat insulation and energy efficiency, the glass thickness for the double insulation is starting at approx. 23 mm and for the triple insulation starting at approx. 37 mm. Large glass formats require higher glass thicknesses based on static requirements.
If the P2A glass is dismantled, than an expert can relatively easily identify it, namely at the edge due to the characteristic glass design. It is more difficult to identify it when it is installed. Markings can exist on the pane itself. The “spacer” between the panes can sometimes include such a marking in case of double or triple insulating glass; a laser measuring device may also help to make the typical basic design identifiable. However, this process does unfortunately not deliver safe information.
Clearly no. The P2A glazing does not provide any resistance against burglars. The P2A glass is broken in less than ten seconds.
A steel ball with a weight of 4.1 kg and a diameter of ten centimeters is dropped three times on the P2A glazing from a height of three meters. The impacts have a distance to each other of about 13 centimeter. The steel ball must not fall through, but: if it falls through after five seconds, then the standard is still met. In reality, nobody should be standing underneath.
This is where you will get all the information about P6B glass
P6B glass
This is where you will get all the information about P7B glass
P7B glass
This is where you will get all the information about P8B glass
P8B glass
This is where you will get all the information about P2A glass
P2A glass
This is where you will get all the information about P4A glass
P4A glass
This is where you will get all the information about P5A glass
P5A glassUseless. The standard specifies in fact even P4A glass, but that is also not enough: Because the P4A glass will be broken in approx. 15 seconds, the P2A in less than ten seconds. Only a safety glass that provides a similar long resistance as the window is meaningful. For example SILATEC P6B glass.
That is also not permitted. Because the P2A glazing is simply not safe enough, even the slightly more safe P4A glazing is not good enough. Not even close. Therefore, only “Panic glass for panic doors” must be used, such as SILATEC RC2 panic glass with a thickness starting at 16 mm.
Yes, but only “laminated safety glass” (VSG), because the P2A glazing protects at least against cutting injuries: the splinters adhere the foil in the middle in case of a glass breakage.
For example in the sunroom or as an awning in front of your house door. P2A glass can protect here against snow and hail and glass splinters cannot drop down. However, P2A does not protect against burglary.
